"You must have studied my background thoroughly, right?"

"As Ye Chen, my magnanimity knows no bounds, and I am definitely the finest man under the heavens. However, I have one major flaw, and that's how easily I become emotional, and I never play by the rules!"

"Chu Yanran, you've calculated everything very well. You know I can't stand coercion, so you decided to change your strategy, thinking you could conquer me with tenderness?!"

"So even if you set me free, that's part of your plan, isn't it?"

At this moment, Ye Chen's unrestrained demeanor was nowhere to be found; his face was completely expressionless, especially his eyes, which were so cold they made Chu Yanran's heart tremble.

"How could you know all this?" Chu Yanran forced a miserable smile, a sense of powerlessness emanating from her, revealing the sensation of having her secrets exposed.

"You are Chu Yanran, but don't think that by batting your eyelashes at me, you'll bewitch me!" Ye Chen said. "You're a legendary empress, the most outstanding woman in the world. How could you achieve what you have today without some intricate schemes?"

"Heh." Chu Yanran chuckled bitterly.

Ye Chen was right; when Chu Yanran allowed Ye Chen to escape, she indeed wanted to play the sympathy card, but this was her top-secret plan. How could Ye Chen know about it?

"It seems you know me quite well?" Chu Yanran said, looking intently at Ye Chen.

"You have looked into my background, and when I had nothing better to do, I casually researched yours as well," Ye Chen replied candidly.

"I admit, I did scheme against you!" Chu Yanran said. "But at that time, I had no other choice, I couldn't stand by and watch Xiao Chenchen die!"

"Hmm, I understand," Ye Chen nodded, displaying an air of wisdom and generosity.

"Actually, when I first let you out, I didn't have so many complicated thoughts," Chu Yanran spoke earnestly. "You once made a joke, I don't know if you still remember it?"

"Hmm?" Ye Chen was puzzled.

"You said, if I became your woman, you would heal Xiao Chenchen!" Chu Yanran said. "You also said that once I became your woman, you would be my personal butler!"

"After years of struggling in the business world, even though I've achieved great success, I am tired and I wanted to find a man!"

"So you released me, actually trying to ensnare me with beauty?" Ye Chen said in astonishment.

Ye Chen remembered that he indeed had said something like that; as long as Chu Yanran stooped to his level, he would heal Xiao Chenchen without concern for the cost. But that was clearly a joking remark, did this foolish woman really take it seriously?!

"Indeed!" Chu Yanran acknowledged frankly. She had intended to lower herself to Ye Chen, to make a deal for him to heal Xiao Chenchen.

"Initially, it was your resilience that I admired. Then, your magnanimity moved me, and finally, your overwhelming talent won my heart!" Chu Yanran said. "Ye Chen, I admit I did have schemes against you previously, but at that time I didn't know you well, and I only reached out to you out of desperation!"

Chu Yanran laid her feelings bare, which left Ye Chen somewhat shocked and doubtful.

"I am exactly thirty years old this year, and also a mother to a child!" Chu Yanran looked at Ye Chen. "But, you are so young, seven or eight years younger than me, I feel I may not be worthy of you!"

"A woman at thirty is like a flower in full bloom, also the most charming moment of her life!" Ye Chen said with a hint of arcane depth in his words.

"Ye Chen, I really like you quite a bit. What about you?" Chu Yanran said in what was truly her most profound confession.

"You have a female chancellor, with whom you have a good relationship. If I were to snatch you away from her, would she kill me?" Ye Chen brought up Tong Xingtong.

Chu Yanran had that secret relationship with Tong Xingtong. If he took Chu Yanran away, wouldn't the fierce female chancellor come after him with murderous intent?

"She would understand me," Chu Yanran said.

"You also have a son, a mother-in-law, and a family!" Ye Chen continued.

"..."

Chu Yanran fell silent; she understood what Ye Chen meant. Sometimes, two people coming together really did involve multifaceted considerations.

"Moreover, I already have a woman, and it's not just one or two!" Ye Chen sighed.

Su Binglan, Zhang Xinlan, Liu Shihua, they were all his women now, each striving for his favor. If Chu Yanran joined them, the complexities of these women's relationships would become immeasurable.

"Such feelings, truly make one regret not acting differently from the start!" Chu Yanran laughed miserably.

The remorse in her heart grew stronger. If only she had held on to Ye Chen from the beginning, there wouldn't be so many problems now, would there?

"If life were only as good as the first encounter, how wonderful would that be?" Chu Yanran said with a smile to Ye Chen.

"Unfortunately, this world is full of imperfections," Ye Chen shook his head.

If only Chu Yanran had revealed her affections from the start, Ye Chen might have truly joined this empress and soared together. But now, the idea of them joyfully coming together was somewhat unrealistic.

"Do you mind that I'm so many years older than you?" Chu Yanran asked, that thought bothering her.

In this era, there's a trend for relationships between older men and younger women or for younger men to date older women, but those are usually when the men are older, and it's not as common with women who already have children, right?

"Su Binglan, she's a year or two older than you, isn't she?" Ye Chen said.

With just one simple question, Chu Yanran realized that Ye Chen genuinely didn't mind that she was so much older than him.

"However, your status is different from theirs; what they can accept, you cannot bear!" Ye Chen said.

Whether it was Su Binglan, Zhang Xinlan, or Liu Shihua, none of them - though each a favored daughter of heaven - could compare with Empress Chu!

Not to mention Chu Yanran's immense business success, the mere fact that she had a family and a child instantly trumped all the women around Ye Chen.

Su Binglan also had a formidable background, but she had not yet started a family or had children, so she could be with Ye Chen without restraint.

But Chu Yanran couldn't. She had a marriage, a family, and children. She was the Empress everyone watched. She would not, and could not, debase herself by competing with a group of women for one man!

This would be a joke to the world. Sometimes, all you have in life is your reputation!

"Mr. Yi said we are a match made in heaven, but in reality, we are fated but not destined!"

In the end, Ye Chen said a sentence that could be considered a final farewell to Empress Chu. They truly were not meant for each other.

"So it is!" Chu Yanran said with a sorrowful smile. This outcome was both expected and surprising to her.

However, when Ye Chen really uttered those words of rejection, Chu Yanran became extremely upset.

Ye Chen had rejected Chu Yanran's bold advances, feeling an indescribable sensation in his heart. He had wanted to make the Empress his woman, but she had a child and a family, and a close companion. It was better not to commit such an injustice!

"Chu Yanran, do you have a headache?" Ye Chen asked.

"Eh?" Chu Yanran was somewhat puzzled.

Empress Chu, what a figure she was, to open her heart yet be rejected by Ye Chen. She was feeling lost at this moment.

But Ye Chen's seemingly random question left her confused!

"Have you been experiencing headaches in the recent days?" Ye Chen tentatively asked.

"How do you know?" said Chu Yanran, then she realized, "I forgot, you are the Divine Doctor!"

"You've been feeling dizzy these past few days, but after arriving at Skywatch Pavilion and seeing Yi Shuiqing today, that feeling disappeared, hasn't it?" Ye Chen asked cautiously.

"Did you notice that too?!" Chu Yanran was truly surprised.

"Don't move, you are sick!" Ye Chen said seriously, then reached out and touched Chu Yanran's cheek.

"Ye Chen, you..."

When had Chu Yanran, a man ever been so close to her? This guy was clearly taking advantage of her!

"Now, does your face hurt?" Ye Chen asked, touching the Empress's cheek earnestly.

"..."

Chu Yanran blushed from Ye Chen's touch, partly wishing to send him away.

"Mr. Yi really lives up to his reputation. He predicted that we would face a calamity!" Ye Chen pressed several points on Chu Yanran's forehead. "He saw your calamity and, although he didn't help you break it, he suppressed it!"

"That person has targeted you, and probably me as well. This truly is a calamity for both of us!"

"Ye Chen, what's wrong?" Chu Yanran asked, sensing something amiss from Ye Chen's erratic speech.

"Don't move, don't panic, just sit quietly here!" Ye Chen suppressed the restlessness of the Gu King inside him, holding the Golden Needle twirling between his fingers.

"This!"

Chu Yanran's face turned pale, intuiting something terrible from Ye Chen's unusual behavior.

"It will hurt a bit, but it will be over soon!" Ye Chen said, pinching the Golden Needle and aiming for Chu Yanran's forehead, piercing three inches in!

"What on earth is going on?" Chu Yanran's face showed horror. "Why do I feel like there's a current flowing back and forth under the skin of my face?!"

Ye Chen remained silent, afraid that revealing the truth would be too shocking for Chu Yanran.

With the right hand holding the needle, Ye Chen's left hand, empowered with True Qi, recklessly kneaded Chu Yanran's delicate face, ruining her beautiful visage.

"Ye Chen, let go of me, stop it!" Chu Yanran was almost driven mad; as the Empress, being treated this way by Ye Chen was nearly pushing her to the edge.

However, a second later, Chu Yanran was dumbfounded, her expression even tinged with fear.

"What is this?!"

Chu Yanran stared at the wriggling little bug on the altar table, nearly nauseated. That disgusting creature seemed to have come from her... she couldn't bear to think any further, fearing she might truly lose her mind.

"This is a vicious Gu, lurking within you for days. Once active, it would devour your brain and cause sudden death!" Ye Chen said, driving the Golden Needle through the Gu. "But now, it's over, the Gu has been forced out and killed!"

"This!" Chu Yanran was utterly shocked.

Both Tong Xingtong and Ye Wushuang had previously been struck by Gu, causing Chu Yanran to be deeply alarmed, but she never imagined that such a terrifying event would happen to her!

"An enemy comes from afar, isn't that something to talk about!" Ye Chen looked up at Skywatch Pavilion. "We are all old acquaintances here, since you've come, why still hide?"

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ps; The update is a bit late today, please forgive me!

ps: To the students who have just started school, are you ready for battle?! For glory, for the ladies, for the brothers, go and take over!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.